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My XTR M9000 shifter has gone a little funny. Sometimes it shifts easily and other times far more force has to be used.
Have any of you ever serviced a shifter? What's the easiest way to do it?
Cable condition?
Squirt some lube in there and make sure the cables aren't sticking. If that doesn't work, remove all the visible screws and shake it until all the springs and little pieces fly out. Sweep them up and thrown them in the bin and buy a new shifter.
Definitely the shifter and not the cable or clutch on the rear mech?
They are not designed to be serviceable, no spare parts availability, and are a PITA to put back together properly. I have got shifters that were sticking (grease dried solid and pawl/spring sticking) going again by flushing them out with solvent/lube.
Beyond basics skip straight to the last bit of hols2's advice.
Years ago (1999ish) I disassembled my STX-RC shifters. It took ages to put them back together and it was fiddly but they worked well.
If they are already knackered what have you got to lose? Take them apart slowly taking note of where all the bits go. Clean everything, lube and rebuild. If it doesn't work you still have some broken shifters so buy some new ones.
I'm not sure I've ever seen a shifter that needed servicing.
Usually cables are the issue, or wear in the mech .
Remove bottom cover, spray lots of light lubricant onto the innards while GENTLY clicking through the gears, cover back on.
This has worked well for me a few times.
If you push the small lever too far, the mechanism flips around and is a bit fiddly to put back.
I've never been brave enough to start taking the mechanism apart, but never needed to either.
I tried to reassemble a shifter that had been playing up and I thought I’d try and repair it. Cut out the middle man and just throw it in the bin and buy s new one.
You’ll likely just get frustrated and still have a poorly operating one at the end of it. Shifters are pretty cheap on the whole - certainly cheaper than derailleurs anyway.
Friend of mine dropped one in a jar of engine oil for a week, then operated it under oil for ages. Then left it to drain. Worked fine after that.
I’ve just had a really stiff Ultegra front STI, changed cables and everything, still stiff. I removed all parts I could, flushed the living hell out of it with degreaser, then flushed that with water, then WD40. I left it to dry overnight on a warm radiator then squirted the internal with a really thin oil. It looked to me like the factory grease had mixed with road slop over the years and clagged up. Shifts like new now.